Israel Targets Senior Hamas Leaders in Qatar, Marking First Strike on Doha
The Israeli Air Force conducted a strike in Doha, the capital city of Qatar, on Tuesday, targeting a building believed to house senior Hamas leaders. "We struck the Hamas leadership in Qatar, including Khalil al-Hayya and [Zaher] al-Jabarin. We are awaiting the results of the strike. There is a consensus among the political and security leadership," a senior Israeli official told Israeli news outlets.
According to Qatari outlet Al-Arabi, the building served as the bureau of Hamas official, Khalil al-Hayya, The Christian Post reported.
Although Saudi news outlet Al-Arabiya reported that al-Hayya was killed in the strike, several outlets reported conflicting information regarding the Hamas leaders present before the strike.
For instance, one security source told Army Radio that Khaled Meshal, a senior leader who in the past led the terror group, wasn't in the building at the time of the strike and is still alive.
The Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) issued a statement contending that Hamas and its leaders are responsible for their massacre in Israel on October 7th, 2023.
"For years, these members of the Hamas leadership have led the terrorist organization's operations, are directly responsible for the brutal October 7th massacre, and have been orchestrating and managing the war against the State of Israel."
Meanwhile, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office stressed in a statement that the operation was "wholly independent" outside of external assistance.
"Today's action against the top terrorist chieftains of Hamas was a wholly independent Israeli operation. Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility."
An Israeli official, however, told Israeli outlets that the U.S. helped coordinate the strike beforehand.
The IDF also noted that measures, such as "the use of precise munitions and additional intelligence," were taken to mitigate harm to civilians in the Dohar, which has a population of over 1 million residents.
"The IDF and ISA will continue to operate with determination in order to defeat the Hamas terrorist organization responsible for the October 7th massacre," the statement concluded.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/JACQUELINE PENNEY/Contributor
Originally published September 10, 2025.
